2008ish
by Oparu
Summary: Sequel of sorts to "2007". In an AU where many people of Earth have lost their fertility Children of Men FTW John and Elizabeth try to have children. This fic shows the times they found out they were pregnant. All fluff.


_first time - five weeks_

Under the new Marshall Laws of the US government, all citizens who tested fertile were being relocated to an undisclosed, safe location. As that undisclosed location, Atlantis had been receiving new personnel as soon as they could pass the quarantine procedure on Midway Station. Luckily, most of them were military personnel, most even from the SGC and they knew the stakes.

Elizabeth hadn't been able to stop the joking in the mess hall that Atlantis was the new baby factory. That their orders were to find the nearest willing body and get knocked up. There were whispers about a baby bonus and hazard pay for unprotected sex. She'd thought she should say something, try and quiet the rumors, but John had talked her out of it.

Soldiers needed gossip. They needed to relieve stress, and huge build-ups of personnel and supplies weren't good for morale. Atlantis was getting ready for the long haul, possible months without contact with Earth. Earth was facing a civil war of epic proportions and Elizabeth couldn't even predict how bad it was going to get. Her stomach got tight when she thought about it for more than a few seconds.

Her coffee smelled terrible even though she knew it was fresh. She'd just gotten it from the mess hall, but she couldn't handle the aroma. Elizabeth pushed it to the far side of her desk and tried to decide between drinking it and tackling her reports without it. Her head was already starting to pound.

Keller made her way across the bridge into Elizabeth's office with the same silence that always made Elizabeth jump as soon as she spoke. "Doctor Lam has sent the list of names that will coming through tomorrow," she offered gently. "Doctor Jackson's going to be with this group. He sent his regards along with her message."

Elizabeth managed a tiny smile. Doctor Jackson was well liked by the SGC and he'd been helpful the last time she'd been in a difficult position. Becoming a System Lord seemed better than dealing with this mess.

"Are you okay?" Keller asked lightly as she circled the desk and stared at Elizabeth with the piercing gaze only doctors had. "You're not getting enough sleep," she accused simply staring Elizabeth down. "You need to work on that."

"I have a great number of responsibilities-" Elizabeth started to argue.

Keller lowered her hand to Elizabeth's computer and shut it in one swift motion. "You haven't checked your on base email yet, have you?" she asked as she kept her hand on the computer.

"Doctor," Elizabeth began curtly taking a command tone. "I need my computer."

"You need to take an hour and have dinner," Keller snapped back. "Maybe try sitting somewhere that doesn't have two computers waiting for you? Or walking around. The city still needs to know you're here, even if you're swamped with paperwork. Colonel Sheppard's clearing out quarters on the South pier with Ronon, why don't you go see if he can eat dinner with you."

"I don't need you to play matchmaker--" Elizabeth snapped more harshly than she intended.

"No, you've managed to do that fairly well on your own," Keller replied with a gentleness Elizabeth didn't feel she deserved. "I sent you a test result and since you haven't read it yet, you're obviously overworked and I am formally requiring you to take at least one hour off."

"That's really not necessary--" Elizabeth began to protest as she stood and prepared to stare the younger woman down if she had to.

"Doctor Weir," Keller began softly lowering her voice. "Your pregnancy test came back positive. Five weeks, I know it's a little early but I thought you might want to tell Colonel Sheppard."

"Colonel Sheppard?" Elizabeth repeated numbly doubting the words in her mouth. "South pier?"

"South pier."

"Five weeks?" Elizabeth asked again as she stared at her hands on the soft gray surface of her desk. Were her hands strong enough for this? Could she possibly be ready?

"At least an hour!" Keller reminded her firmly. "Take some time. It's one thing to decide you want to have a baby, it's another thing entirely--" she paused, giving Elizabeth a moment to breathe. "Go, get dinner. Talk to Colonel Sheppard."

* * *

Cleaning meant playing mini golf down the hallways of the South Pier, and Ronon was setting up a set of obstacles in the hallway when Elizabeth came around the corner. Elizabeth was white and her already thin face was pinched. Ronon saw it in her body language first, and his disappearance was immediate. He nodded to John, rearranged the cases he was using as obstacles on the floor into a pile and disappeared with remarkable silence.

"Hey," John started shyly as he tried to decide what Ronon had seen so quickly that he was missing.

"John--" she began softly starting at and then past him when she couldn't meet his eyes.

There was nothing to see in her eyes. She was shut down in a way he hadn't seen since Carson died. Whatever thoughts in motion behind Elizabeth's eyes were so consuming that she was at a loss for words.

"Let me take you to dinner," he suggested as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Ronon and I are just about done here." His tiny smile went unreturned.

"I'm supposed to go to dinner," she agreed haltingly. "Mandatory, actually."

"Mandatory?" John wondered as he took a step closer. "Piss Keller off?"

"I think I'm being scared straight," Elizabeth admitted closing her eyes. John wondered what pictures she was painting on the inside of her eyes that made her so quiet. "Perhaps we could grab something and take it to our quarters--"

John took another step, moving closer to her as she stood stock still in the cooridor. "Tough day? More riots on Earth?"

Elizabeth's pale lips opened and closed once before she said it. "I'm pregnant," she said simply. "Keller just told me."

His chest tightened in amusement, and in spite of himself he chuckled into his hand. "You okay?" He'd been wondering when Keller would get to read her email.  
"It's a little quick, isn't it?" He'd honestly thought it would before lunch that she came to find him. He'd nearly run out of excuses to stay out of the general population and playing mini golf with Ronon was the closest he could get to actually thinking on his own.

"It was the first time," she whispered and tried to smile.

John offered his hand palm up, and waited for her to take it. "You wanted this," he reminded her gently.

Elizabeth nodded slowly. Her hand trembled but took his firmly. "You knew?"

He squeezed her hand and wasn't ready for her to hug him. Elizabeth pulled him in and clung to him so tightly he thought she might be trying some new wrestling technique.

John reminded himself to hug her back. Her hands were tight on his shoulders, and his slowly found their places on her back. Admittedly, he hadn't planned much of this relationship. Elizabeth led and he did his best to keep up with her. Still not sure if she wanted the kid or had some crazy sense of duty that told her to get pregnant, he held the back of her head and hoped for the best. "I check my email," he whispered to her. "Rodney sends me things. I make fun of him. It's a thing we do."

She started to let go of him, but he held on. "You're remarkably sanguine about this," she murmured.

Grinning slightly, he remembered the toy airplanes he'd had as a kid. "I like kids," he replied shrugging as he released her. "You give them toys, they're happy. Give them the boxes the toys came in they're ecstatic. They're kinda fun that way."

"Says the one who doesn't have to watch his belly overrun his trousers," she made a feeble attempt at joking.

"I thought I wasn't supposed to tease Rodney about his weight anymore--"

Elizabeth's thumb covered his lips. "Thank you," she whispered.

"I had it rough you know," he teased and realized he could keep his hand on her waist. Enjoying the moment, he kissed her finger. "I hope this doesn't mean we stop practicing."

Tilting her head slightly, Elizabeth narrowed an eyebrow. "Practicing would seem moot, wouldn't it?"

Looking stunned, John stared at her in mock dismay. "If you want a poor, lonely, un-picked on only child," he insisted as he hooked his fingers in her belt loops and pulled her closer. "Kids need siblings. How else can you play roller hockey? Or forty-nice card poker?"

"Forty-nine card poker?"

"Way harder than fifty-two card," John explained as he wrapped his other hand around her butt. "If your parents had been thoughtful enough to get you siblings, you'd know these things."

Elizabeth dropped her head to his chest and he wondered if she had any idea what was coming. He didn't, and his stomach felt inside and upside down just thinking about it. "I'm glad it's you," she said finally before she hugged him again. There was less desperation in this hug, and he had to admit how much he liked being attacked by her. His heart was racing in his chest. He'd been reasonably calm when he found out he was going to be a dad. He really liked thinking about being a dad. It was the deeper, more insidious thought that he was stupidly in love with her that turned his life upside down.

* * *

_second time - eighteen months_

"And so," John paused and tried to remember which voice he was using for the Dread Pirate Roberts, "The man in black dumps the sand out of his boots and turns to Inigo and says 'You've done nothing but study swordplay?' and Inigo shrugs and says he's been pursuing more than studying lately. It's been twenty years and he hasn't found the six fingered man. He doesn't think he'll ever find him. He works for Vizzini to pay the bills--" John made a scrunched up face and reminded Andrew that Vizzini was a bad guy.

His son stared at him with his too huge eyes and gnawed on the corner of the rubber duck Sam had given him as a present.

"There's not a lot of money in revenge. Remember that, okay, and then-" John continued as he squeezed Andrew's chubby foot and kept telling the story. "The man in black stands up and says 'I hope you find him someday--"

His radio buzzed on the bed, disracting him from his story. Rubbing Andrew's stomach, he stuffed his radio into his ear. "Sheppard."

"Hey," Keller's voice sounded deeply apologetic. "I don't suppose you could spare some time for a little visit to the infirmary, could you?"

"Nothing's wrong?"

"No, no," Keller sounded more exasperated than anything else. "I just ran some blood tests on the city, you know, standard procedure--"

John grinned down at his son as he stroked his stomach slowly through his yellow onesie. "Looks like you're going to have a sibling to play with," he guessed as he covered his radio. "You'll like that, won't you? Someone to gnaw on ducks with?"

"How's the little guy?" Keller asked in the increasingly sappy tone she was developing as her pregnancy continued.

"Chewing," John replied as he tried to decide how Elizabeth was going to take the news. Earth was degrading quickly. Marshall Law had proved to not be enough in many countries. Civil wars were breaking out; families with children had been airlifted to safe zones. "Is Elizabeth okay?"

"She's fine."

"She's pregnant," John guessed when the doctor's pause drug out a little longer than it should have.

"I'm just worried that she--" Keller began sheepishly.

"Someone should come watch the monster for me," John asked as he straightened Andrew's bright blue sock. "I'll come up and put myself between you and her."

John could almost hear her roll her eyes. "She's not going to be angry," Keller insisted.

"Just a little shook up," he sighed and grinned at his son. Andrew was unable to understand his sudden burst of joy, but he seemed to approve as he gnawed hard on his toy. "I'll be up as soon as I find someone--"

Keller's relief was palpable. "Rodney's already on his way down."

* * *

_third time - thirty one months_

"No, John, don't--" Elizabeth protested feebly as he climbed into bed next to her and wrapped his arms around her chest. "I don't want you to get sick, you'll give it to the kids."

"You're not that warm," John wondered running his hand through her hair. "What were you doing when you starting throwing up?"

"Talking to Gen-" Elizabeth caught herself and twitched as her stomach turned again. "-Jack on the balcony. I got a little dizzy sitting at my desk, he thought going outside would make me feel better."

He pulled her away from the side of the bed and her bucket and held her tight against his chest. "Right over the railing, huh?"

"Don't!" Elizabeth protested again, laughing feebly. "You don't want me away from that bucket." With John's arms around her, she stopped fighting him. "What did you do with the boys?"

"Andrew and Indy are safe with Jack," John promised as he ran his hand slowly across her shoulders. "I think he felt guilty for being the instigator of your nausea."

Jack dealing with her sons made her smile slightly, and Elizabeth turned over to face him. "Are you going to keep calling poor little Henry, Indy?"

Nodding emphatically before he kissed her forehead, John watched her raise an eyebrow. "Kids have nicknames. Andy and Indy is cute. They're like a set." His attempt at logic only made her roll her eyes again. "He doesn't care."

"He's five months old!" Elizabeth exclaimed emphatically. Her hand immediately flew up to her mouth, and she swallowed quickly. John scooted them back towards the edge of the bed with the bucket and held her against him until she relaxed. "His name is Henry."

"His name is Indiana," John countered playfully kissing the side of her neck. "You just like to call him Henry because you have a girlhood crush on Sean Connery."

"Sean was a good name," she reminded him pouting before she sighed and closed her eyes. "I'm still going to throw up."

He snuggled in and started rearranging the blankets. "You're fine--"

Moaning softly, Elizabeth shook her head. "I have the stomach flu Sam, Rodney, Radek and half the science team had--"

"Sam didn't have the flu," John corrected as an odd idea started to form in the back of his mind. Wandering his hands over to her breasts, he cupped both of them and started to grin into her hair. "Have any blood tests lately?"

"No--" Elizabeth groaned and tried to get his mind off of sex.

Laughing behind her, John kissed her neck. "Not that, 'Lizabeth, your breasts hurt."

Raising an eyebrow suspiciously, she didn't understand his meaning right away. "How did you-?"

John dropped his hands to her stomach and held them there gently. "Sorry," he murmured into her ear. "I know we were going to wait."

"Damnit," Elizabeth sighed towards the edge of the bed. "Do you think we really did it?"

"Your breasts hurt," he reminded her. "You're nauseous, you were getting dizzy in your office, we're really awful about- you know--"

"Damnit," she murmured again and rolled back towards him. "Are you going to try and call this one Wesley?"

"I was thinking 'Pierre' or "Andrei' because those are both literary names and you would have a harder time arguing with me--" John waited for her smile before he kissed her forehead. "We can ask Keller tomorrow, but I'd guess you're-"

"-Pregnant," Elizabeth finished with a sigh. Draping her arm over him, she pulled him close and nuzzled his cheek. "I thought two was a nice number."

"We're way short of my football team," John complained sardonically. "We'd better start having more than one at a time," he quipped and kissed her nose playfully.

Her eyes widened as she contemplated the idea. Wondering if she'd be twice as nauseated with two babies, Elizabeth shook her head slowly. "How long can we pretend I have the flu?"

Kissing her gently, John cupped her cheek and slipped his leg around hers. "At least a few more hours," he agreed as he closed his eyes. "Long enough for a nap."

* * *

_fourth time - fifty-three months_

"Andrew, Indiana, Claudia Sheppard, you get in here right now and explain this mess!" John's voice carried through their quarters like the siren they'd been taught to pay attention to. Andrew, the eldest and a preternaturally mature four-year-old, guided his three-year-old brother Henry (Indiana) and his baby sister out into the living room. Claudia had just started walking, and toddled along happily next to her brother as long as he held her hand. Indy, as his second son preferred to be called, much to John's delight, stood next to his brother and stuffed his chubby hands in his pockets.

John was exhausted and he knew he shouldn't have yelled, but there was no reason for their crayons and paints to be all over the floor when they weren't even playing in the living room. "Why are the crayons out?" he asked more calmly.

"We didn't-" Andrew argued as Claudia gave up walking and decided crawling was much easier. She went straight for the crayons and her father bent to scoop her up to keep her from eating them. "We playing cars in my room. Mommy was out here."

Indy nodded with his brother and pointed towards the small bedroom the boys used. "Play cars," he added for emphasis. "With Andy and baby."

John stared at his children and tried to decide if they were lying to him. Andrew didn't lie, and he wouldn't have talked Indy into lying with him. "Mommy was here?" he asked wondering why she hadn't come into their bedroom. He'd been listening for the kids while he practiced the guitar, and the kids knew he was there, but Elizabeth must have come in without making much noise. The only thing he'd heard was the crate falling over.

Andrew and Indy both nodded. Claudia squirmed in his grip and he put her down with her brothers.

"Would you help daddy pick up the crayons?" John asked gently as he knelt on the floor and started scooping them up. "It should be quick if you help me."

Claudia picked up one crayon and stared at it thoughtfully before banging it repeatedly on the rug. John grinned at her; her brother's were much more helpful and soon the crayons and paints were all back in the crate. Moving it over by the wall with the rest of the toys, John pulled the purple crayon out of his daughter's mouth and nudged her towards the boy's room. "Why don't you guys go back to cars, and let daddy see if mommy's okay."

Indy nodded seriously and headed resolutely for his cars. Andrew got more of what his father was saying, and he waited for his sister as he watched his father intently.

"How's the new one Jack got you?" John asked before Andrew was out of earshot.

"Really cool daddy," his son replied, cheerfulness restored. "It flashes."

Wandering over towards the closed bathroom door, John took a last look at his son. "He finds the flashy ones, doesn't he?"

"Yup!"

John knocked once and there was no immediate answer. Leaning lazily against the wall by the door, John knocked again. "'Lizabeth?"

The door opened a crack and the one green eye he could see was reddened. "Are they in their room?" she asked softly.

"You're crying," John realized instead of answering her question. Pushing the door slightly inwards, he nodded. "Yeah, they have that new police cruiser Jack got them. 'Lizabeth--"

"I'm fine," she argued pathetically as she let him into the bathroom. One of the small towels was sitting damp on the sink, and she returned to the corner of the floor by the shower she'd been curled up in. "I'm completely fine. I was just watching the kids--"

"Shh--" John whispered as he slid down to the floor next to her. Pulling her nearly into his lap, he kissed her head and held tighter. "We have amazing kids."

"We're so lucky," she muttered barely audibly. "So lucky. Andrew's so smart and Indy's so serious and the little one's so--"

He kissed her cheek again and nodded. "Chubby?"

"Happy," Elizabeth corrected as she managed to smile a little. "She's such a happy baby. Why is she such a happy baby? She barely ever cries, she adores her brothers--" Trailing off as she leaned into him, she sighed heavily and John heard the remnants of weeping in her voice.

"What did Earth do?"

"Nothing," she insisted as she tried to wipe her eyes. John wiped her face for her and she kissed his hand before she clung to it. "I didn't want them to see me cry. I thought they'd worry."

"instead you almost got them in trouble for knocking over the crayons," John chided. "I'm sure they'd rather have seen you cry." He shifted his feet so they wouldn't fall asleep beneath them. "Wanna talk about it?"

"I thought we were done," she started without answering his question. "We're so lucky with what we have."

"They're all monsters sometimes," he reminded her. John leaned forward to get a better look at her face. "Did we loose someone?"

"No," she struggled and climbed completely into his lap. "We're actually gaining a few."

"A few?" John pondered for a moment before he remember. "Blood test Tuesday? Who's knocked up this time?"

"Laura, Kate, Sam, obviously--"

"She's really hard to miss," John teased as he started working his fingers through her hair. "Anyone I didn't know about?"

"Your wife," Elizabeth finally managed to explain. She took a deep breath and starting shaking her head. "I know we talked about Claudia being the last one. I'm so sorry, we're older now and we didn't want--"

John's lips closed down hard and killed the rest of what she was trying to say. He continued kissing her when she tried to speak again, and it was only when he was throughly done that he let her breathe again. "Have I mentioned how much I love my wife?"

Elizabeth kissed him once lightly. "I could ask her." Smiling made her eyes seem brighter. "You're not--"

"I love all kids," John murmured as he reached for her hand and squeezed it fiercely. "Kids with you are my favorites though."


End file.
